Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

    I saw the Pioneer Woman make these Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies on the Food Network a while back and I thought I have to make those! Not because they looked amazing (which they did); and not because they were completely flat and almost not cookie-like (which they are); and not even because she said they were very chewy (which is my favorite food texture, in case you were wondering). No, I thought, I have to make these, because my husband would love them!
    He is completely obsessed with the Thrifty's brand Chocolate Malted Crunch Ice Cream that you can buy @ most Rite Aide drug stores. He loves the stuff. Not two weeks ago he bought 4 cartons and we are down to one (what's left of the one anyway, and I have had only two scoops by the way). So, I thought these cookies might be a way for him to get his chocolate malted fix without having to spend all the money on the ice cream. He ended up really liking these, but he said that they don't say "cookie" to him. He said they were too flat to be a cookie. Well, I don't know if I agree with him on that one, but I thought they were yummy.
   I did change the recipe a little, but I still want to give credit to Miss Ree. She's amazing. I love her blog and her food network series. If you haven't checked her out yet, you really should. :)
   So, back to the cookies. Yes, they are unbelievably flat. And yes, they are crunchy and chewy at the same time. The malt flavor is not overly pronounced, but the aftertaste is very malty - which I like. I think I ate more cookies than my hubby did, so I'll keep searching for a Chocolate Malted Crunch replacement (if there is such a thing), but I will keep this recipe in my repertoire. It's delicious!!!

Here's what you do:
Cream two sticks (1 cup) of salted butter, by itself, until light and fluffy.

Then add 3/4 each dark brown sugar and white sugar, and beat them together until smooth.

Add 2 tsp vanilla extract - this was the last of my vanilla. I need to add that to my never ending shopping list.

2 eggs, Incorporated one at a time. (I just left my mixer running - makes it easier.)

Then scrape down the bowl to make sure everything gets well mixed.

Now comes the star of the show! The malted milk powder. Do you know that growing up I never new you could buy a malt (it's a n ice-cream shake with malted milk powder mixed in). We always made our own @ home, and I thought that was the only way I could get them. Well, I grew up and discovered otherwise. In case you were wondering, the Chocolate Malts at Carl's Jr are really yummy. You can also ask the people that work @ Cold Stone Creamery to make you a malt and they will. - It's not on the menu, but they'll make it if you ask. - Definitely ask!

You'll need about 1 cup of the good stuff (malted milk powder).

Add about 1/4 tsp of salt,

and 1 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Mix until well combined . . .

and then slowly start adding your flour. You'll need 2 cups.

Make sure to scrape down the bowl and get underneath as well. See all that flour trying to hide? Naught flour, you will have to be beaten into submission. Something that I never condone with people, but often do with stubborn cookie batter.

Once you beat the heck out of the batter, to get everything well mixed it's time for the chocolate chips. The original recipe calls for 1 12 oz package (about 2 cups), but I think that's a little too much. (I know, shocker! Me saying there is too much chocolate? I will continue to say that I can never have too much chocolate, but if you want to taste the malt flavor more in this cookie, you will want to reduce the chocolate to 1 1/2 cups. If you just want a darn good chocolate chip cookie with a tasty malt flavor that lingers slightly when you're done eating, then stay with the two cups. The choice is up to you.)

When the chocolate chips are all mixed in, it's time for scooping. I use a scoop that is 1 1/2 inches across - it's the smallest one I own. (If you are a cookie dough eating person, I would definitely try this dough now. The malt flavor is more pronounced in the raw state than after it bakes. Ree calls this "the good stuff." I'm not a cookie dough eating person - wary about the raw eggs and what not - so I just scoop mine onto baking sheets to go into the oven.

Put them on a silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheet and give them PLENTY of room to spread out. I would bake no more than 6 at a time. (As always, I only baked two cookie sheets full - 12 cookies - and then scooped out the rest onto another cookie sheet and stuck them into the freezer. When they were rock hard I put them in a labeled zip-top freezer bag and they will keep for up to a year (not that they would ever last that long in my house).

They bake @ 350F for 7-9 minutes. These ones I took out after 7 minutes. They were dark around the edges and almost uncooked in the middle. That's just fine. If you cook them too long they will just be crunchy, and not chewy. I like mine chewy!

This is what they look like when they are cooled. Aren't they strangely beautiful? No? I think so. They taste even better than they look!

Here's the recipe:

adapted from PW- Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks (1 cup) of salted butter, softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup malted milk powder

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

1 1/2 to 2 cups chocolate chips (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and mix until well incorporated. Add the salt and vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl and add the malted milk powder and baking soda. Mix well. Mix in the flour and scrape down the bowl again. Mix in  the chocolate chips. Scoop into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets. Put no more than 6 on each sheet - they need plenty of room to spread out! Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until brown around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack.